This invention relates to a magnetic disk memory, and in particular to the magnetic head mounting structure of a magnetic head device for a magnetic disk memory.
A magnetic disk memory is equipped with a magnetic head device by means of which recording and/or reproduction of information on or from the magnetic disk is effected. Conventionally, a magnetic disk memory having a large-diameter magnetic disk is equipped with a so-called multihead-type magnetic head device in which a plurality of magnetic heads are arranged in a row in the radial direction of the magnetic disk in order to shorten the access time by reducing the magnetic head transfer distance.
In a well-known multihead-type magnetic head device, a magnetic head assembly is so constructed that each magnetic head is attached to one slider. A plurality of magnetic head assemblies thus constructed are mounted at equal pitch on a support member in a longitudinal direction thereof, through respective gimbal springs.
This magnetic head device is arranged in the radial direction of the magnetic disk, with the magnetic gaps of the magnetic heads facing the magnetic disk. The magnetic heads are moved radially over the magnetic disk by driving an actuator connected to the support member.
The recording area for recording and/or reproducing information on a magnetic disk memory equipped with this magnetic head device is shared by a plurality of magnetic heads arranged in the radial direction of the magnetic disk, so that the magnetic head transfer range which is effected by the actuator can be relatively narrow, whereby the access time can be shortened.
The above-described multihead-type magnetic head device is effective for a magnetic head device having a magnetic disk with a relatively large diameter.
However, the construction of this magnetic head device is such that one magnetic head is attached to one slider, which is mounted on a support member through a gimbal spring, so that a large area is needed for one magnetic head to be mounted on the support member. For the magnetic heads to be arranged on the support member, the space between two adjacent magnetic heads must be equal to or greater than the width of the gimbal spring. Accordingly, it is by no means easy to apply a multihead-type magnetic head device to a magnetic disk having a small diameter such as 5.25 inches. In particular, it is next to impossible to apply a multihead-type magnetic head device to a magnetic disk whose diameter is 2.5 inches or less.
In the field of magnetic disk memory, one of the most important technical problems have become how to make the device smaller and how to increase the access speed. Hence the urgent demand for a multihead-type magnetic head device which can be applied to a magnetic disk memory equipped with a magnetic disk having such a small diameter as mentioned above.